Turkey Launches Defense Techno-Park

ISTANBUL - The Turkish government Nov. 18 laid the foundation of a technology center, called Teknopark Istanbul, that will house hundreds of mainly defense companies and their research and development efforts, hoping to create a Silicon Valley for the country's defense industry.
Science, Industry and Technology Minister Nihat Ergun said Teknopark Istanbul, on the city's Asian side, would become the largest of its kind in Turkey.

Teknopark Istanbul will operate a 700,000-square-meter space at Sabiha Gokcen Airport near here, accommodating 30,000 personnel and targeting up to $5 billion in defense and nondefense business annually, to become one of Europe's largest technology parks, said Turgut Senol, the technology center's CEO.
Its major shareholders are the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), Turkey's arms procurement agency, with a 45 percent stake, and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) with a 40 percent stake. ITO, which also runs a university with the same name, has some 300,000 member companies.
"The site will bring together companies and 27 universities in Istanbul, targeting strategic fields like aviation, maritime, electronics, information technology, nanotechnology, energy and automotive, biotechnologies, automation systems and robot technologies," he said.
Some of the world's technology giants are in talks with Teknopark Istanbul to build their own offices there, Senol said.
"The site will offer its residents tax advantages and logistical benefits, as they will be located within a major airport and have quick access to a trans-European motorway," he said. "Here, we will be hosting both Turkish and foreign techno ventures."
In recent years, Turkish companies have won subcontracts from multinational programs, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, attack helicopters and naval vessels, as well as contracts for vehicles, electronics and software for Turkey's military.
"Foreign contractors surely will benefit from Teknopark Istanbul, as international production programs involving Turkey are on a visible rise," Senol said.
According to Senol, the first resident companies will start operations at the Teknopark by the end of next year. Partners SSM and ITO have earmarked an initial construction budget of $100 million for the project.
"Our principal mission is to contribute to the national innovation system and to boost the local industry's international competitiveness through multinational partnerships and technological advancement," Senol said.
Defense analysts said the technology park is intended to further boost local companies with a first-ever serious investment in research and development.

M-346 Jet Trainer Crashes Near Dubai

An Alenia Aermacchi M-346 jet trainer crashed Nov. 18 near Dubai, a company spokesman said.
"A prototype M-346 aircraft owned by Alenia Aermacchi suffered an accident today while flying in United Arab Emirates air space on its return journey to Italy," wrote Alenia spokesman Jim Meltsner in an emailed statement. "The on-board crew successfully ejected from the aircraft, and no serious injuries were reported."

The UAE and company officials are investigating what happened, but there was no word yet on what caused the Italian-made twin-engine advanced jet trainer to crash.
"The causes of the accident are currently being investigated and, in accordance with company procedures, an internal investigation committee has also been set up," Meltsner wrote. "Alenia Aermacchi representatives are cooperating closely with the local authorities, through the Italian embassy in the United Arab Emirates."
A derivative of the M-346 called the T-50 is a potential candidate for the U.S. Air Force's nascent T-X program to replace the five-decade-old T-38 Talon advanced jet trainer.

Indian-U.S. Joint Venture To Produce Radar, Surveillance Systems

NEW DELHI - India's automobile maker Mahindra & Mahindra has forged a joint venture with U.S. aviation communications equipment major Telephonics to produce radars, surveillance systems and communications solutions for the Indian military and civilian use.

Mahindra & Mahindra already has a joint venture with the U.K.'s BAE Systems to build a variety of military vehicles in India.
In the Telephonics joint venture, Mahindra & Mahindra will hold 74 percent equity and the U.S. company 26 percent, said Khutub Hai, chief executive of Mahindra Defence Systems, the defense arm of Mahindra & Mahindra.
Under law, an overseas defense company can have no more than 26 percent equity in a joint venture in defense, and a request for approval of the venture will be made to the government this month, Khutub said.
Apart from the radars, surveillance systems and friend-or-foe identification systems, the joint venture will manufacture air traffic management services, and equipment for homeland security and other emerging surveillance requirements.

German Navy Christens New High-Tech Sub

BONN - The German Navy on Nov. 15 christened its most modern submarine at the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) shipyard in Kiel. The vessel includes improved communication, sensor and combat systems.
The U35 is an updated version of the Navy's four 212A-class submarines, which were put into service between 2005 and 2007. After having bought the four boats, the German military in 2006 placed an order with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems subsidiary HDW for two additional vessels. While staying with the basic design, the U35 and U36 will benefit from recent experiences with the first batch of subs.

With an air-independent propulsion system that combines hydrogen fuel cells and diesel engines, they can remain submerged for weeks.
At about 56 meters, both boats are about 1.2 meters longer than the earlier version. The two submarines have a displacement of about 1,450 tons and are operated by a crew of 27 sailors.
The two new submarines feature a communications system suitable for network-centric warfare, as well as an integrated German sonar, command and weapon control system. The Callisto B submarine communication system, with its towable transmitter buoy, allows each boat to communicate while remaining deeply submerged.
The flank antenna array will be substituted with a superficial lateral antenna. One periscope will be replaced by the Carl Zeiss Optronics OMS 100 Optronic non-hull penetrating mast system. It can be remotely controlled via a multifunctional combat system console.
The mast system offers various automatic functions such as sector scan or quick look-round. The sensor unit consists of a third-generation thermal camera and a high-definition TV camera, and it can be refitted with a laser rangefinder.
The improved boats also feature a special diver lock-out system integrated into the sail to deploy special forces.
U35 is expected to be officially put into service in the summer of 2013. Until then, systems checks and sea trials will be conducted. U 36 is scheduled to be put into service in the winter of 2013.

Norwegian Defense Firms Hacked, Intel Reports

OSLO - The biggest wave of hacking and espionage attacks in Norway's history has hit key defense and energy companies, the National Security Agency (NSM) said Nov. 18.
At least 10 companies have over the past year fallen victim to hackers in a string of attacks believed to be the work of one group, the NSM said in a statement.

"We have to suppose that the actual number (of victims) is much higher, but that many (companies) have not been in contact" with authorities, the agency said.
The security agency said it was difficult to track down the perpetrators, who used servers based abroad for their attacks, refusing to point fingers at any suspects.
"This is the first time that a hacking campaign of this magnitude has been detected in Norway," said NSM spokesman Kjetil Berg Veire.
The hackers in each case tried to gain access to the corporate network by sending seemingly legitimate emails to specific people, along with a well-concealed virus handing them remote access to the computer in question, according to the agency.
But each attack was "tailored" for the specific company, making it possible to escape detection by anti-virus programs, it said.
The main targets of the attacks were companies in the oil, gas and overall energy sector, as well as in defense.
The names of the targeted companies were not divulged.
"The attacks have, on several occasions, come when the companies have been involved in large-scale contract negotiations," NSM said.
The attacks had allowed the hackers to gain access to documents, industrial charts, usernames and passwords.
According to Berg Veire, however, it is impossible to quantify the possible losses, as no overview exists of what had been taken

Falcons outfight Eagles in Red Flag

U.S. Marines Won't Fly Brit Harriers

An official announcement could come within days of Britain's sale of its remaining Harrier jump jets to the U.S. Marine Corps, but sources are saying privately the purchase will be strictly for spare parts and logistic support, and not a move to increase the operational fleet.

A GR9 Harrier lands at RAF Cottesmore following a retirement ceremony in 2010. Britain retired its joint force of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Harrier aircraft late last year. (U.K. Ministry of Defence)

"We have no intent at any point to ever fly any of these" British jets, said one U.S. source.

The two-part deal was revealed Nov. 10 during a conference in New York, when Rear Adm. Mark Heinrich, chief of the U.S. Navy's Supply Corps, told attendees he had negotiated a $50 million deal to purchase the spare parts inventory from the British.
A separate deal, he said, was being negotiated by the U.S. Navy's Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to acquire all 74 remaining GR Mark 9 and Mark 9A Harriers and their spare Rolls-Royce engines from the British.
Neither NAVAIR nor the British Ministry of Defence would officially comment on the negotiations, but sources on both sides of the Atlantic confirmed the deal was in the works.
Heinrich said the spare parts deal was worth $50 million, but no value for the larger aircraft and engine deal has been revealed.
One U.S. source, however, said that acquisition of the British aircraft and their spares could save the Marines up to $1 billion over the life of the fleet. The Marines plan to operate the AV-8B at least until 2025, when conversion to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter is expected to be completed.
Britain retired its joint force of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Harrier aircraft late last year in one of the most controversial moves in a series of defense reductions, which also cut the aircraft carriers that operated the jets, other warships, maritime patrol planes and personnel.
British and U.S. Harrier II aircraft had a high degree of commonality from the beginning. The planes were developed and built in a joint arrangement between British Aerospace - now BAE Systems - and McDonnell Douglas, now a division of Boeing. While each company built its own wings, all forward sections of the British and American Harrier IIs were built by McDonnell in St. Louis, while British Aerospace built the fuselage sections aft of the cockpit.
"All the planes have to fit together," Lon Nordeen, a Harrier expert and author of several books about the aircraft, pointed out.
"There are significant differences between Royal Air Force GR Mark 9s and Marine AV-8Bs, which would be a challenge to overcome," Nordeen added. "However, the engines and spare parts would be very valuable for long-term sustainment of the Marine Corps Harrier fleet."
U.S. Navy and Marine Corps sources would not comment last week on media queries about their plans for the British jets, leading to speculation that the aircraft might be made operational.